This quad was in my favorites back in April *click here to see all of my April Favorites* but I love it so much, I decided to post a full review with swatches. I’ll likely be posting reviews of other quads in this line by Maybelline, which so far seems pretty amazing.

The ProductMaybelline’s Eye Studio quad contains four soft, shimmery shadows housed in a slim plastic compact with a clear lid and a double ended sponge tip applicator. It does not have a mirror, but the clear lid makes the shadows inside easily visible.

The first shadow is a sheer, beautiful shimmery, satin finish champagne color.
The second is a gorgeous bright peachy golden shimmer shade.
The third is a warm, soft, green shade with a fine golden shimmer.
The fourth and darkest color is a charcoal, almost black, satin finish shadow with green and golden shimmery micro-glitter.

As with most drugstore palettes, I don’t love the packaging. While it feels reasonably sturdy, it also feels a bit cheap and doesn’t have a mirror. I don’t mind it not having a mirror much since I usually apply my makeup in front of a larger mirror, but it would make the quad more travel friendly.

Although I would prefer if the quad was smaller without the sponge tip applicator, I actually do use and like sponge tip applicators for applying color. I follow up by blending with brushes. When you just want to get a concentrated amount of color onto your eyes, sponge tip applicators do it best – or fingers, which are less sanitary and make a mess. Also, the sponge tip applicator in this quad is unique in that one side is more slim and pencil shaped while the other side is more flat and egg shaped like a standard sponge tip applicator.

All four shadows in this quad are absolutely gorgeous.The warm earthy tones create an easy look that can be either subtle or bold year-round. They’re are a little sheer and dull when applied without a primer; however, with a primer, they’re bright, vibrant, and every bit as quality as their high-end counterparts. The only thing keeping them from being as amazing as high-end shadows like those made by Urban Decay is that they really have to have a primer to give saturated, bright, full-color results.

The Skinny

swatched with primer

Maybelline’s Eye Studio quad contains great shadows and decent packaging. Although a primer is absolutely necessary to get bright, bold, full-color application, even without a primer, these shadows aren’t powdery or difficult to blend in the least. I highly recommend Green With Envy, especially if you like bright, warm, earthy colors. I love a quad that can easily transition from spring to autumn. $9.99 at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, $7.99 at Target.

Have you tried any Maybelline Eye Studio eyeshadows? Let me know in the comments below!